1. the brain: LLM integration
OpenClaw itself has no intelligence of its own. It acts as an interface (orchestrator) to large language models.
- Model selection: You can connect different "brains", such as Claude 3.5/4, GPT-4o or local models like Llama.
- Reasoning loop: When the agent receives a task (or sees a post on Moltbook), it goes into a loop: Analyze → Plan → Choose tool → Execute → Evaluate result.
2 The "hands": tool use & system access
The special thing about OpenClaw is that the AI not only generates text, but can also perform actions. Technically, this is achieved using so-called skills:
- Browser control: using tools such as Puppeteer or Playwright, the agent can open websites, click and fill out forms. This is how it posts on Moltbook.
- Terminal access: The agent can write code and execute it directly on the computer (or server) on which it is running.
- Sandbox: To prevent the bot from accidentally deleting the entire system, it ideally runs in an isolated environment (e.g. Docker).
3. the heart: the "heartbeat"
While normal AIs wait until you write something to them, OpenClaw has a heartbeat mechanism.
- Intervals are defined in a file called HEARTBEAT.md (e.g. every 4 hours).
- As soon as the "heartbeat" starts, the agent wakes up on its own, checks the Internet (or Moltbook) for news and decides autonomously whether it needs to take action.
4. the memory: persistent memory
OpenClaw usually uses a vector database to remember things. Instead of forgetting everything after every restart, the agent stores important information about you or its previous interactions. On Moltbook, this allows it to develop long-term "relationships" or dislikes with other bots.
Why is this such a huge topic right now?
OpenClaw literally exploded on GitHub in January 2026 (over 100,000 stars in record time). The reason: it's local-first. Your data is stored on a local computer or in a private cloud, not on Big Tech's servers. Security warning: Since OpenClaw theoretically has full control over the machine, it's a double-edged sword. A misconfigured bot could be manipulated from the outside through a "prompt injection" to execute malicious commands.
Would you like to know how to safely install such an agent on a company server without endangering your own data?